Allergic reactions rising as FDA issues food recalls

Food labels are most often used for marketing. While this has given many manufacturers, and even the private labels of grocery stores, the ability to separate themselves from competitors and create a market niche, it has also created legal controversies.

For example, in California, residents recently voted on whether companies that sell food products in the Golden State should have to label any genetically modified ingredients. But, while this may have taken the spotlight for a while, another issue is taking the hold of public attention demanding more clear and concise information from food companies: allergies.

According to ABC News, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued 20 recalls in just the last 60 days for undeclared allergens in food products. Some examples of this include the popular tuna brand Chicken of the Sea, which had undeclared soy. In addition, Wegmans had two different kinds of brownie mix which had undeclared milk and two kinds of ice cream with undeclared pecans.

"It's a very difficult topic to find a perfect solution for," Dr. Scott Sicherer, professor and researcher at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, told the source. "Companies can always make a mistake and have recalls if a product is found to have mislabeled an ingredient in it. Unless someone gets sick from it, they wouldn't know it was there."

While the onus is on the manufacturer to ensure that managers know which allergens may be prevalent in their product, producing high-quality food labels is another step in ensuring customer safety.

By investing in a Primera LX900color label printer, companies can create custom labels that not only list any allergen warnings, but do so in a clear and concise manner, protecting customers from health hazards and the company from any potential lawsuits.